Machine for use in the manufacture of shoes



March s, 1949. C. w. BAKER 2,463,672

MACHINE FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Filed March 21, 1947 n 4 sheets-511651 1 Inuenfor ,Ivll Essi. @n 0 March 8, 1949. c. w. BAKER MACHINE FOR v,USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Filed Maron 21, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor lC'Qrwjn WBa/(e By /zz's Attorney t l -f/ March 8, 1949. c. W. BAKER 2,463,672

MACHINE FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOES A Filed Maron 21, 1947 i 4 sheets-#sheet s Inventor' Corwin W Baz/cer By hsfl'orney March 8, 1949. c. w. BAKER 2,453,672

MACHINE FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Flled March 21, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 VJ\ X WSMONU iwl Patented Mar. 8, 1949 MACHINE FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE F SHOES Corwin W. Baker, Beverly, Mass.,

United Shoe Machinery Corporation,

assignor to Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 21, 1947, Serial No. 736,169

18 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for use in the manufacture of shoes, and is herein shown as applied to a power-operated toe-lasting machine constructed in many respects as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,160,846, granted on June 6, 1939, on an application of F. C. Eastman and A. F. Pym, but embodying certain features disclosed in Letters Patent N o. 2,380,407, granted on July 31, 1945, on an application of P. E. Burby, and in other Letters Patent hereinafter mentioned. As will be evident, however, the invention is not limited to machine organizations of that vparticular character or to lasting machines.

In the above-mentioned machine the shoe is positioned by means Which engages the bottom face of the forepart of the insole and against which it is clamped by a toe rest engaging the upper at the top of the forepart, the toe rest being moved into clamping position substantially at the beginning of a cycle of operations of the machine. In the course of the cycle of operations the marginal portion of the upper about the toe end of the last is wiped inwardly over the insole by toe-embracing Wipers. At a predetermined time in the lcycle the wipers are moved a short distance heightwise of the last to apply a nal increased pressure to the overwiped upper, and at substantially the same time the toe rest is pressed more forcibly against the shoe to support it firmly against the increased pressure thereon. To insure that the toe rest at this time Will not make an impression in the upper which will be visible in the finished shoe, it is desirable that it engages the upper uniformly over as great an area as possible. The present invention pro- Vides a construction especially Well adapted for this purpose. As herein shown, the toe rest comprises a container which incloses a mass of granular material of the character hereinafter described and which has a flexible and extensible Wall arranged to conform itself to the contour of the shoe with accompanying displacement of a portion of the mass of granular material when the toe rest is iirst applied to the shoe. That is, the toe rest readily shapes itself to the shoe over a large area, regardless of the style or size of the shoe, when it is rst pressed against it. To cause it thereafter to support the shoe` firmly as required when the wipers increase their pressure on the shoe, further displacement or deformation of the mass of granular material by the increased pressure of the shoe thereon is prevented by producing a partial Vacuum in the container; that is, by exhausting some of the air intermingled with the mass of granular material. The result of this procedure is that the atmospheric pressure on the outside of the iiexible wall of the container prevents such increase in volume of the mass of granular material as would necessarily result, in accordance with the well-known principle of dilatancy, from any further deformation of the mass, such pressure holding the grains of the mass tightly interlocked in frictional engagement with one another. The mass of granular material thus becomes substantially rigid. To produce the partial vacuum in the :container the machine herein shown is provided with a suction pump which is automatically started in operation after the toe rest has conformed to the contour of the shoe but before its pressure on the shoe is increased as above described.

The novel features of the invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and thereafter pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the greater portion of the front and right-hand side of the machine to which the invention is herein shown as applied;

Fig. 2 is a View partly in right-hand side elevation and partly in section, showing the toe rest and the means for applying it to the shoe;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line III-III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a View partly in right-hand side elevation and partly in section, showing the toe rest in clamping relation to the shoe and showing also a portion of the toe-lasting means;

Fig. 6 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in section of parts shown in Fig. 5; and

Fig, 7 is a cam chart illustrating the timing of such operations of the machine as are of interest with reference to the present invention.

In view of the disclosures in the above-mentioned Letters Patent and in others hereinafter mentioned, only such portions of the machine are herein shown and will be described in detail as it is necessary to refer to for an understanding of the invention. The position of the shoe, herein shown as one of the welt type, is determined by means constructed substantially as disclosed in Letters Patent No. 2,385,414, granted on September 25, 1945, on an application of E. A. Holmgren, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. Briefly, such shoepositioning means comprises three pins 2 rigidly supported rby a block 4 and arranged to engage the bottom face of the forepart of the insole to determine the position of the shoe heightwise and with respect to tipping movements, and a plate having a downwardly extending iiange 8 which engages the inner face of an upstanding lip a on the insole about the end and along the sides of the toe to position the shoe lengthwise and laterally. The plate S, when the shoe is in position to be operated on, is held down on the insole by three spring-pressed pins Ii), two of which are visible in Fig. 5. Substantially at the beginning of a cycle of automatic operations of the machine, initiated by the tripping of a clutch (not shown), the shoe is clamped against the lower ends ci the pins 2 by upward movement of a toe rest I2 the construction of which will be hereinafter described. While the shoe is thus held by the 'toe rest a pair of cam-operated wipers I4 (Figs. .1 and 5) which embrace the upper about the toe end of the last are moved upwardly to wipe the upper heightwise of the last and are thereafter advanced bodily lengthwise of the last and closed inwardly widthwise of the last to wipe the marginal portion of the upper over the feather and against the lip a of the insole. In the course of this toe-lasting operation the upper is further controlled by a retarder I5 (Fig. l.) which clamps the upper on the wipers in accordance with the disclosure of the above-mentioned Letters Patent No. 2,380,407, this retarder being used in place of the upperpulling grippers shown in Letters Patent No. 2,160,846.

The toe rest I2 is supported on the upper end of a rod I5 vertically movable in bearings in the frame of the machine, this rod, as herein shown, being operated and controlled by mechanism constructed substantially as disclosed in Letters Patent No. 2,224,146, granted on December l0, 1940, on an application of F. C. Eastman. For a better understanding of lthe present invention this mechanism will now be described. For lifting the rod I5 to apply the toe rest to the shoe there is provided a yoke I8 (Fig. 2) slidingiy mounted at its lower end on the rod and at its upper end on a sleeve 28 through which the rod extends. The yoke i8 is raised and lowered by a pair of crank arms 22 fast on a cam-operated rockshaft 24 and connected to the upper end of the yoke by a pair of links 28. When the yoke is raised it acts on the rod i6 through one of the other or both of two springs 28, 30 of different strengths as determined selectively by the operator and also through a disk 32 integral with the previously mentioned sleeve 28 and engaging a shoulder 34 formed on the lower end of an enlarged portion of the rod I8. The lower ends of both springs 28 and 38 rest on a washer 36 which is supported by nuts 38 threaded on the lower end of a sleeve 4i] (Fig. 3) slidingly mounted on the rod I6. At their upper ends the springs 28 and 30 are in engagement respectively with concentric rings 42 and 44 (Figs. 2 and 4) which are relatively movable vertically. The ring 42 has fast thereon three upwardly extending pins 46 and the ring 44 is similarly provided with three upwardly extending pins 48. Formed in the disk 32 are vthree holes 50 arranged to aline with the pins 46 when the disk is in one position with respect to turning movement, as shown in Fig. 4, and three other holes 52 arranged to aline with the pins 48 when the disk is in another position, the disk and its sleeve being rotatable about the rod i6 into one or the other of these two positions or into a third position in which neither of the two sets of holes is in alinement with the corresponding pins. Through means hereinafter described the sleeve ..40 and the washer 36 are raised by the upward movement of the yoke I8, and it will be evident that in accordance with the adjustment of the disk 32 one or the other or both of the springs 28, 30 are rendered effective in response to this movement to raise the rod I6 and the toe rest I2 by reason of engagement of the upper ends of the appropriate pins with the disk 32 which engages the shoulder 34 on the rod. Adjustment of the disk 32 selectively to its different positions is effected by turning the sleeve 20 about the rod I6 by the operation of mechanism not herein shown but of the same construction as mechanism disclosed in Letters Patent No. 2,160,846 for turning a corresponding sleeve. To maintain the two sets of pins 48 and 48 always in proper relation to each other and to the holes in the disk 32, there is formed integral with the upper end of the sleeve 48, above the rings 42 and 44, a disk 54 provided with holes through which all the pins extend, this disk being adjustably controlled by two setscrews 58 which are threaded in the yoke i8 andbear respectively on opposite sides of a lug 58 on the disk.

As also disclosed in Letters Patent No. 2,224,146, the construction shown is further such that neither of the springs 28 or 30 is compressed by that upward movement of the yoke I8 whereby the toe rest is applied to and pressed against the shoe prior to the lasting operation, although one or the other or both of these springs serve as above described as means through which the toe rest is thus raised and applied to the shoe. For pressing the toe rest yieldingiy against the shoe at this time by the upward movement of the yoke there is provided another spring 60 which is lighter than either of .the springs 28 or 38. At its upper end the spring 8i) bears on a flange 62 formed on a sleeve 54 which is slidingly mounted on the rod I and abuts against the lower end oi the sleeve 40. At its lower end the spring bears on a disk 68 which is fast on the upper ends of two rods 68, .the lower ends of these rods being fast in a block 'l0 which rests on a shoulder 'l2 on the lower end portion of the yoke i8. A lug i4 on this block lies in a recess in the yoke to prevent the block from turning. It will thus be seen that when the yoke is raised it acts through the block l0 and the rods 68 to raise the disk 66, and this disk acts through the comparatively lightl spring 60 to raise the two springs 28 and 30 through one or the other` or both of which upward movement is imparted to the rod Iii and .the toe rest in the manner above described. When the toe rest meets the resistance of the shoe the spring 80 is compressed more or less by continued upward movement of the yoke I8, the block 'I8 and the rods G8 without compression of either of the heavier springs 28, 3U. The shoe is accordingly supported by the force of the comparatively light spring 68, and it continues to be so supported as the wipers I4 are operated to wipe the marginal portion of the upper inwardly over the insole.

At a predetermined time in the cycle of operations, as more fully hereinafter explained, the wipers are moved downwardly a short distance to increase their pressure on the overwiped upper and the yoke I8 is moved farther upwardly to increase the supporting pressure of the toe rest on the shoe. In order to support the shoe rmly enough against the increased pressure of the wipers on .the upper, the construction is such that force is transmitted at this time from the-yokel I8 to the sleeve 84 positively, instead of yieldingly through the spring 60, so that thegreaterforce of one or the other or both of the two springs 28, 30 is eective on the toe rest. For this purpose there is threaded on the lower end of the sleeve 64 a block 16 having on its opposite sides downwardly directed ratchet teeth 18 arranged to be engaged by a pair of pawls 80 which are pivotally mounted at their lower ends on rods 82 supported in the opposite ends of a pair of plates 84 at the opposite sides of the block '10. These plates are pivotally mounted midway between their opposite ends and midway between the pawls on studs 86 formed on the block l0. A'spring 88 connected to the two pawls 80 tends to swing them inwardly toward the ratchet teeth 18. Initially, however, .the pawls are held out of engagement with the ratchet teeth by a cam block 90 slidingly mounted on one of the rods 68 and having on its opposite sides cam faces 92 arranged to control the pawls by engagement with their upper ends. A spring 94 mounted on the rod 68 below the cam block 90 holds the block initially upraised in such a position, determined by its engagement with the disk 66, that the pawls are held out of engagement with the ratchet teeth, thus permitting compression of the spring 60 by the upward movement of the yoke I8, as hereinbefore described. The cam block at this time moves upwardly with the yoke and the block l0 and it continues to hold the pawls out of engagement with the ratchet teeth as the wipers wipe the upper inwardly over the insole. To cause the pawls .thereafter to engage the ratchet teeth the cam block 9B is moved downwardly against the resistance of the spring 94 .by downward movement of a rod 95 which extends through an opening in the block and carries a collar 98 arranged to engage the upper face of the block. This rod is pivotally connected at its upper end to an arm (Fig. 2) fast on a rockshaft |02 operated by a cam (not shown), as more fully disclosed in Letters Patent No. 2,224,146. By reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that initially there is sulicient space between the cam block 90 and the collar 08 to permit such upward movement of the block as occurs when the toe rest is applied to the shoe through the spring 60. At the proper time in the cycle downward movement is imparted to the rod 96 to move the block 90 downwardly and thus to cause the pawls 80 to engage the ratchet teeth 18. It will be evident that when the pawls are thus in engagement with the ratchet teeth any further upward movement of the yoke I8 or any depression of the shoe and the toe rest by the pressure of the wipers on the shoe results in compression of one or the other or both of the springs 28, 30, depending upon the adjusted position of the disk 32.

Further to insure that the toe rest I2, while supporting the shoe firmly enough against the final increased pressure of the wipers on the upper, will not make any impression in the top of the forepart of the upper which will be visible in the nished shoe, the toe rest herein shown, for purposes of the present invention, comprises a hollow rubber container |04 provided with a ilexible and extensible wall and secured by cement on the top of a holder |06 mounted on the upper end of the rod therein a mass of granular material |08 which, together with the wall of the container, conforms to the contour of the top of the forepart of the shoe over a large area in response to pressure of the shoe thereon when the toe rest is forced yieldingly against the shoe through the spring 60.

I6, the rubber container having Mingled normally with the mass of granular material and occupying such space in the container as is not occupied by the material is atmospheric air. The invention is not limited to the use of any special granular material or to the use of material the particles of which are of any particular size or shape, but material which has been used successfully for the purpose in view consists of aluminum oxide the particles of which are similar to grains of fine sand. To render this toe rest rm enough to support the shoe as required after it has thus conformed to the contour of the shoe, the invention further provides means for producing a partial vacuum in the container |04 before the increased pressure is applied to the Shoe by the wipers. For this purpose there is supported on a bracket ||0 on the frame of the machine a rotary suction pump ||2 operated by an electric motor ||4. The pump communicates through a filter IIB and a flexible tube ||8 with a short metal tube |20 which is fast on a block |22 on the toe rest holder |06 and is in communication with the interior of the container |04 through a screen |24 which prevents escape of the granular material |08. Initially the motor ||4 is at rest, so that there is atmospheric pressure in the container plied to the shoe. To start the motor and thus to cause the pump ||2 to produce a partial vacuum in the container there is provided an electrical switch |26 (Fig. 3) mounted in a switch box |28 which is supported on a block |30 fast on one side portion of the yoke I8. A spring arm |3| carrying one of the contact members of the switch |26 is controlled by a pin |32 slidingly mounted in the switch box |28 and engaged at its lower end by a lever i 34 pivotally mounted at |36 on a block |38 secured to the yoke I8 at the opposite side of the yoke from the block |30. A spring |40 connected to the lever |34 and to the block |30 tends to swing the lever upwardly and causes the lever to hold the switch |26 normally open. The switch is closed to start the motor in response to the downward movement of the pawlcontrolling block eiected as hereinbefore described by downward movement of the rod 96 before the increased pressure is applied to the shoe by the wipers. For this purpose an arm |42 eX- tending from the lever |34 in angular relation thereto is provided with a screw |44 arranged to be engaged by the lower face of the block 90 when the block is moved downwardly. The partial vacuum thus produced in the container by the pump has the eifect of preventing further deformation of the mass of granular material by the increased pressure of the shoe thereon, since the atmospheric pressure on the wall of the container prevents such expansion in bulk of the mass of material as would necessarily result, in accordance with the principle of dilatancy, from any further deformation of the mass. The grains of the mass of material are also pressed rmly together in frictional engagement with one another by the atmospheric pressure on the container. The degree of vacuum produced by the pump is such that the mass of granular material thus becomes substantially rigid against such pressure as is applied thereto by the shoe.

It will be understood that in the return of the parts to starting positions the switch |26 opens automatically to stop the motor and the pump. In order to relieve promptly the partial Vacuum in the container at this time the short metal tube |20 is in communication with a passage |46 formed in the block |22 and controlled by a valve |04 when the toe rest is ap- 4481: gThsvvalve comprises. af smalllever|50 pivotal1y.-mounted between its ends on the vblock f and having thereon a Apad |52 vfor :closing ,the

,lower'end of the passagea |46. fing on the lever holds the valve in closed posi.

A spring- |54 act- ,tion- (Fig. 5) when; the pump I l2 isl operated. When the toe rest is moved downwardlyv in the return of the parts to starting positions a pin |56 mounted in a member |58 on the top ofthe frame f |60 of the machine engages the lever 150 and opens the valveto relieve the partial vacuum. in the container, as shown in Fig. 2.

The manner of operation `of the machine,Y in so far as it is of interest with reference to the present invention, will now be briefly summarized v with reference to the cam chart (Fig. 7). The operator presents the shoe to the machine with the toe end of the insole in engagement with the flange 8 of the plate 6, this flange engaging the .f inner face of the lip of the insole, and then starts. f the machine by tripping the clutch. At the beginning of the cycle of operations upward movement is imparted to the yoke I8 which controls the toe rest l2, and by this movement of the yoke the toe rest is moved upwardly to clamp the shoe against the pins 2the plate 6 being lifted by the shoe against the resistance of the spring-pressed pins |0. The toe rest is thus forced against the shoe yieldingly by compression of the comparatively light spring 60, and in response to themes-L30 sure of the shoe thereon the rubber wall ofthe container |04 and the mass of granular material |08 therein conform to the contour of the shoe over a large area. The wipers I4 then operate ation after which they are further advanced and closed to wipe the marginal portion of the upper inwardly over the feather and against the lip of the insole. ation the toe rest remains under control of the comparatively light spring 60. After'the wipers havethus wiped the upper inwardly, the machine comes to a stop at 190 of the cycle to permit the operator to fasten a binder wire to thefshoe at 'one side of the shoe bottom and to pull the wire inwardly against the shoe under the wipers. He then starts the machine again,

vwhereupon the wipers are slightly lifted and are partially retracted and opened to permit the operator to pull the wire farther inwardly against the upstanding margin of theupper opposite the lip of the insole. Thereafter, the wipers `are again fully advanced and closed to press the -upstanding margin of the upper against the lip of` the insole and to press the wire against the upper and are moved downwardly to the same level as in rst wiping the upper inwardly over rthe insole. When theseadvancing and closing movements of the wipers have been Enearly completed, f and thereafter, the wipers are moved still farther downwardly, between-245"v and 270 of the cycle, to increase their pressure on the overwiped portion of the upper, `and at substantially the s-ame time the yoke I8 is moved fartherv upwardly to increase the supporting pressure of the `toe rest on the shoe. In this upward movement of the yoke it acts on the toe rest, notthrough the spring 60, but through lone Aor they other or vboth of tithe.v heavier,` springs; 28,l 30 .since prior. to.-.the

During this wiping operbeginning of its'upwardv movement the block .-90 is moveddownwardly by the rod 96 to. cause'the .pawls-80 to engage the ratchet teeth 18 of the block 16. As indicated on the chart, the rod 96 thus receives its downward movement between ,"205:and 240 of the cycle... In response tothe downward` movement of the block 90 also the a lever |34 is 'operated to cause the switch |26. to z close, thus starting the motor |4 and the pump thereby to produce a partial vacuum in the con- ||2 to exhaust air' from the container |04 and tainer. In this'manner the mass of granular material. |08 is caused to become substantially rigid, as hereinbefore explained, so that the toe restwill support the shoe rmly against the lnal `increased downward pressure of the wipers thereon, Since the wall of the container and the mass of granular material have previously conformed .to'theicontour of the shoe over a large area, there is no substantial danger that the toe rest in its .increased pressure on the shoe at this time will vform in the upper any impression which will be --visible in the nished shoe.

After the shoe has-beensubjected to the increased pressure of the wipers as above described 4the machine again comes to a stop at 270 of the cycle to permit the operator to fasten the binder wire at the other side of the shoe.

Thereafter fthe operator, again starts the machine, whereup- 'on the parts are returned to their starting pol sitions. Inthe course of such return of the parts the'switch |26 is opened by the lever |34 inresponse to upward movement of the block 90 to stop the operation of the pump. To relieve the4 valve |48 is opened by engagement of the pin promptly the partial vacuum in the container |04 .f |56 with the lever |50 substantially at the end of the downward movement of the toe rest.

This

. leaves the wall of the container |04 and the mass of AgranularI material therein ready to conform to the contour of the next shoe in the operation of the machine thereon.

While the invention is herein disclosed as applied to means for vsupporting a shoe at the top of the -forepartagainst pressure' on the bottom thereof, it should be understood that it is more lgenerally applicable to various uses in relation to i shoes in shoe machines.

It is also to be understood that the invention is not limited to a construction in which the means for reducing the pressure inthe container consists of a pump which is started in every cycle of operations of 1 the machine.

It will further be evident that the `iresults'obtairied are not dependent upon the use of air or other gaseous medium intermingled with the lgranular material, but that a liquid, such as water,;might be used instead. Accordingly, in

the appended claims the term fluid is used as applicable to either `a gaseous or a liquid medium.

Having described' the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of `the United States is:

l. rIn ayshoe machine, a container inclosing a ,deformable mass of granular material mingled with a iluid. and having a'flexible and extensible `wall'impervious to iluid, means for causing said @wall ofthe container to conform to the contour .of a portion'of a shoe. on a last with accompanying deformation of .the mass of granular material nationl ofthe mass off. granular material.

and thereaterto press more forcibly on the shoe, and meansfor reducing the pressure ofthe uid in the container after said wall has'thus conformed to .the shoe Ybut prior to such increase of .pressureyon the ishoefto prevent further deforma- 2. In a shoe machine, a container inclosing a deformable mass of granular material mingled with a gaseous fluid and having a flexible and extensible Wall impervious to uid, means for causing said Wall of the container to conform to the contour of a portion of a shoe on a last With accompanying deformation of the mass of granular material and thereafter to apply increased pressure to the shoe, and means for producing a partial vacuum in the container after said Wall has thus conformed to the shoe but prior to such increase of pressure on the shoe to render the mass of granular material substantially rigid when the increased pressure is applied.

3. In a shoe machine, a container inclosing a deformable mass of granular material mingled With a fluid and having a flexible and extensible Wall impervious to fluid, means for eiecting relative movement between said container and a shoe in the machine to cause said Wall of the container and the mass of granular material to conform to the contour of a portion of the shoe in response to pressure of the shoe thereon and for thereafter increasing the pressure of the shoe on said Wall in the course of a cycle of operations of the machine, and automatic means for reducing the pressure of the fluid in the container at a time in the cycle after said wall has thus conformed to the shoe but prior to the increase of pressure of the shoe thereon to prevent further deformation of the mass of granular material by the increased pressure.

4. In a shoe machine, a container inclosing a deformable mass of granular material mingled with a fluid and having a exible and extensible Wall impervious to fluid, means for causing said Wall of the container and the mass of granular material to conform to the contour of a portion of a shoe on a last in response to pressure of the shoe thereon and thereafter to press more forcibly on the shoe, a suction pump communicating with said container, and means for starting the operation of said pump after said Wall of the container and the mass of granular material have thus conformed to the shoe but prior to such increase of pressure on the shoe to reduce the pressure of the fluid in the container and thereby to prevent further deformation of the mass of granular material.

5. In a shoe machine, a container inclosing a deformable mass of granular material mingled With a fluid and having a flexible and extensible Wall impervious to fluid, means for eifecting relative movement between said container and a shoe in the machine to cause said Wall of the confr tainer and the mass of granular material to conform to the contour of a portion of the shoe in response to pressure of the shoe thereon and for thereafter increasing the pressure of said wall on the shoe in the course of a cycle of operations of the machine, a suction pump communicating with said container, an electric motor for operating said pump, and automatic means Ifor starting said motor at a time in the cycle after said Wall has thus conformed to the shoe but prior to its increase of pressure on the shoe to reduce the pressure of the fluid in the container and thereby to prevent further deformation of the mass of granular material when the increased pressure is applied.

6. In a shoe machine, a container inclosing a deformable mass of granular material mingled with a gaseous fluid and having a ilexible and extensible wall impervious to fluid, means for causing said Wall of the container and the mass thus conformed to the shoe but prior to such increase of pressure on the shoe to prevent further deformation of the mass of granular material, and valve means controlled independently of said suction means for relieving the partial vacuum in l the container after the operation of the machine on the shoe.

7. In a shoe machine, a container inclosing a deformable mass of granular material mingled with a fluid and having a flexible and extensible Wall impervious to iluid, means for causing said Wall of the container and the mass of granular material to conform to the contour of a portion of a shoe on a last in response to pressure of the shoe thereon and thereafter to press more forcibly on the shoe, a suction pump communicating with said container, means for starting the operation of said pump after said Wall of the container and the mass of granular material have thus conformed to the shoe but prior to such increase of pressure on the shoe to reduce the pressure of the fluid in the container and thereby to prevent further deformation of the mass of granular material, and means for restoring independently of the pump initial pressure conditions in the container after the operation of the machine on the shoe.

8. In a shoe machine, a container inclosing a deformable mass of granular material mingled with air and having a flexible and extensible Wall impervious to air, means for causing said Wall of the container and the mass of granular material to conform to the contour of a portion of a shoe on a last in response to pressure of the shoe thereon and thereafter to press more forcibly on the shoe, a suction pump communicating with said container, means for starting the operation of said pump after said wall of the container and the mass of granular material have thus conformed to the shoe but prior to such increase of pressure on the shoe to produce a partial vacuum in the container and thereby to prevent further deformation of the mass of granular material, and valve means for opening the container to the atmosphere to relieve the partial vacuum therein after the operation of the machine on the shoe.

9. In a shoe machine, a container inclosing a deformable mass of granular material mingled with a fluid and having a flexible and extensible Wall impervious to fluid, means for effecting relative movement between said container and a shoe in the machine to cause said Wall of the container and the mass of granular material to conform to the contour of a portion of the shoe in response to pressure of the shoe thereon, means for thereafter reducing the pressure of the fluid in the container to render the mass of granular material substantially rigid, and means for operating on the shoe while it is controlled by the granular materia-l in that condition.

l0. In a shoe machine, a container inclosing a deformable mass of granular material mingled with a iluid and having a flexible and extensible wall impervious to uid, means for effecting relative movement between said container and a shoe in the machine to cause said Wall of the container and the mass of granular material to conform to the contour of a portion of the -shoe in response to pressure of the shoe thereon, a suction pump communicating with said container, and autollE niaticineansl for `starting said pumpl after said wall offthacontainer Aand the mass of granular material -have 'thus' conformed to `the shoe to `reduce thepressure of the fluid in the container and thereby; to prevent/further` deformation of the mass of-granulanmaterial in the course'of the operation of the` machine.

l1;v `Inra shoe-machine, a container `inclosing a deformable mass yof granular material mingled with'a fluid and-having a flexible and extensible wailimpervious to fluidpmeans for eiectingfrelative-movement between-said container and/a shoe in the machine to cause said wall of the lcontainer and zthe'mass of granular material to conform to thecontour of a'portion'of the shoe in response to pressure of the shoe thereon, `a suction pump communicating with said container, means for starting the.V operation of said pump after said wallof the container and the mass of granular material have thus conformed to the shoe to reduce the pressureA of the fluid in the container and thereby to prevent; further deformation of the mass of granular material in the course of the operation of the machine, and means for thereafter restoring;independently of the pump initial pressure' conditions in the container.

12.',In a shoe machine, a container inclosing a deformablemass ,of granular material mingled withair and having a flexible and extensible wall impervious to air, means for movingsaid container toward a shoe in themachine to cause said wall andthe massof granular material to conformy to the contour of a portion of the shoe in response to pressure of the shoe thereon, suction means for thereafter producing a partial vacuum inthe container to render said mass of granular material substantially rigid, and a valve affording communication between thev interior of the container and the atmosphere when the valve is open,

saidvalve being arranged to close automatically as the container is moved toward the shoe.

13.'v In 'a shoe machine, a container inclosing a deformable, mass. of granular material mingled with'air and having a flexible and extensible wall impervious to air, means for moving said container toward av shoe in the machine to cause .said wall and the mass of granular material to conform to thecontour of a portion of the shoe in response to pressure of the shoe thereon, suction means for thereafter producing a partial vacuum in thecontainer to render said ,mass of granularmaterial substantially rigid, means providing an open passageway'between the interior of the container and the'atmosphere when the containeris in its initial position, and automatic means for closing said passageway as the container is moved toward the shoe 'and for openingit again upon return movement of the container..

14.' In la shoe machine, a container, inclosing a deformable -masscf granular material mingled with a fluid and` having a flexibleand extensible wall impervious to fluid, means for causing said wallY of thecontainerand the mass ,of granular material-to conform to thecontour of a portion of a shoe on a lastin response to pressure of the shoethereon; a suction pump communicating` witli'isaid container. for reducing the pressure of the vfluid therein after said Wall of the container andtheimass -of ,granular material have thus conformed 'to the-shoe to prevent further deformationlof the mass of granular material, and automatic" means for starting ,said pump and for thereafter stopping'it in the course of the operationof thelmachine;

l5.'- In fa lasting machinawipers for wiping the 'marginal portion of an upper about the toe 4the wipers on marginal portion ofan upper'about the toe end of a last inwardly over for'pressing the upperon'the insole heightwise the wipers on' ltheI upper, said toe rest comprising a container inclosing a deformable mass of granular-material mingled with a fluid and having a exible kand extensible wall impervious to fluid for Vengaging lthe upper, means for effecting relative movement between-the shoe and the toe rest to cause said wall of the container and the mass of graular material to conform to the contour of the shoe in response to pressure of the shoe thereon, and means 'for thereafter reducing the pressure of the fluid in the container to prevent further deformation of the mass of granular material by the pressure of the wipers 0n the shoe.

ll In a lasting machine, wipers for wiping the end of a last inwardly over an insole on the last and for pressing the upper on the insole heightwise of the last, a toe rest for supporting the shoe at the topA of the forepart against such pressure of the upper, said toe rest comprising a container inclosing a deformable mass of granular material mingled with a fluid and having a ilexible andy extensible Wall impervious to fluid for engaging the upper, means for moving said Atoe rest toward the shoe to cause said wall oi' thecontainer andthe mass of granular material to conform to the contour of the shoe in response to pressure of the shoe thereon and for thereafter-increasing the pressure of the toe rest on the shoe, and means for reducing the pressure of the'uid in the container after said wall and the mass of granular material have thus conformed to theshoe but prior to the increase of pressure of the` toe rest on the shoe to prevent further deformationgof the mass of granular material when such increased pressure vis applied.

17. In a lasting machine, wipers for wiping the marginal portion of an upper about the toe end of a last inwardly over an insole on the last and f and for thereafter applying increased pressure the container and the mass of granular material to conform to thecontour of the shoe in response to pressure of the shoe .thereon prior to the wiping of the upper inwardly over the insole, and means for reducing the pressure of the fluid in the container after the wipers have wiped the upper inwardlybut prior to their increase of pressure on the upper vto prevent further deformation of the mass of granular material when such increased pressure is applied.

18.' In a lasting machine, wipers for wiping the marginal portion of an upper about the toe end of a last inwardly over an insole on the last and for thereafter applying increased pressure to the upper heightwise of the last, a toe rest for supporting the shoe at the top of the forepart againstthe pressure of the wipers on the upper, saidtoe rest comprising a container inclosing a wall impervious to fluid for engaging the upper,

anfinsole on the last andl 13 means for moving said toe rest toward the shoe to cause said wall of the container and the mass of granular material to conform to the contour of the shoe in response to pressure of the shoe thereon, additional means for thereafter forcing the toe rest more rmly against the shoe to support the shoe against the increased pressure of the Wipers on the upper, and means for reducing the pressure of the uid in the container after 14 said wall and the mass of granular material have thus conformed to the shoe but prior to the action of said additional means on the toe rest to prevent further deformation of the mass of granular materia] when the increased pressure is applied to the upper by the Wipers.

CORWIN W. BAKER.

No references cited. 

